When moral philosopher Gary Steiner first adopted his cat Pindar, the vet advised him to put the cat to sleep. A rescue animal, Pindar had tested positive for FIV (feline AIDS) and feline leukemia, and has since developed other chronic health issues, including kidney disease. Steiner decided to keep Pindar, triggering… »7/31/15 12:31pm Friday 12:31pm

Family is a moving target. Our ideas about what constitutes a “normal” family have changed a lot since the 1960s, and there’s no reason to believe they’ll stop changing. How weird could things get? Here are nine different ideas about the future of the family. »7/13/15 10:19am 7/13/15 10:19am

I have a friend who says three in the morning is the time we all spend laying awake, staring at darkness, and thinking about all the mistakes we’ve made in our lives. Everyone reading this knows that she’s right. But it doesn’t need to be this way. We could use this time productively, the way our ancestors did.»5/12/15 4:30pm 5/12/15 4:30pm

At Slate, Ben Lillie reflects on the ongoing battle between those who would build a colossal, $1.5-billion telescope atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea and the native Hawaiians who regard the dormant volcano as a sacred place. The conflict, says Lillie, is emblematic of a larger, and largely unspoken, truth about science: that… »5/01/15 1:40pm 5/01/15 1:40pm

The sexuality of disabled people has long been suppressed and exploited. But in recent years, people with physical and cognitive impairments have been pushing back, fighting for sexual citizenship, and upending standard notions of gender, pleasure, and sexuality. »3/17/15 9:00am 3/17/15 9:00am

The ongoing civil war in Syria is literally sending the country back to the dark ages. New satellite imagery reveals that 83% of nighttime illumination has disappeared in Syria since the start of the four-year conflict that has claimed the lives of 200,000 people and displaced nearly half its population.»3/12/15 6:20am 3/12/15 6:20am

Normally, the things around us become damaged after experiencing an unexpected disruption or shock. But there are aspects to our world that actually get better after a setback. Here's why things that don't kill us can sometimes make us stronger.»2/19/15 10:15am 2/19/15 10:15am

When you think of the numbers 1–10, you probably envision them running along a line, with 1 on the left and 10 on the right. Scientists have long debated whether this tendency is hardwired or culturally instilled. This week, the hardwired camp scored a major point. Young chickens, it seems, also map numbers from… »1/30/15 10:40am 1/30/15 10:40am

A recent investigation into the causal relationship between marriage and life satisfaction found that people who regard their partner as their best friend derive more satisfaction from their marriages than others. »1/08/15 5:30pm 1/08/15 5:30pm

In nearly every civilization with historical records, we find stories of people who went off by themselves to live in the wilderness. But not all hermits were the same: some were outcasts, some were holy, and others were extremely fashionable. All their stories are extraordinary. »12/03/14 12:22pm 12/03/14 12:22pm

It's been a quarter of a century since the Berlin Wall was torn down, and the city is still marked by the architectural remains from a generation of Soviet occupation. A new study of the city's residents suggests that east and west Berlin remain culturally divided too — though they are still happy with their lives… »11/06/14 1:27pm 11/06/14 1:27pm

If you fall into misfortune, it's important to have a lot of good friends rally around you. They'll get you through it, right? Nope! If you want to make successful connections, go to the people you barely know. »11/03/14 6:20am 11/03/14 6:20am

Robots are poised to eliminate millions of jobs over the coming decades. We have to address the coming epidemic of "technological unemployment" if we're to avoid crippling levels of poverty and societal collapse. Here's how a guaranteed basic income will help — and why it's absolutely inevitable. »10/31/14 1:00pm 10/31/14 1:00pm

In 2004, scientists observing a baboon troop found that the monkeys' culture could change dramatically, and enduringly, for the better. And all it took was massive amounts of death. »10/27/14 11:40am 10/27/14 11:40am